Socket for pin base lamps and tubes



8- 1942. N. CHIRELSTEIN 2,292,051

SOCKET FOR PIN BASE LAMPS AND TUBES Filed Sept. 30, 1941 ATTORNEY- Patented Aug. 4, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SOCKET FOR PIN BASE LAMPS AND TUBES Nathan Chirelstein, Chicago, Ill.

Application September 30, 1941, Serial No. 412,930

4 Claims.

The invention here disclosed relates to sockets for holding electric lamps or tubes having pin terminals and is a partial continuation of patent application Ser. No. 340,443 filed June 14, 1940, issued as Patent 2,257,786 on October 7, 1941.

Special objects of the invention are to provide a simple and practical form of socket structure, which will readily admit entry and engagement of the pin terminals of the lamps or tubes with the socket contacts and which will positively lock the pin terminals against accidental or unintentional release when fully engaged with the socket contacts.

A further object of the invention is to enable the ready release or unlocking of the pin terminals when it is desired to remove the lamps or tubes from the sockets.

Other desirable objects and the novel features of construction, combinations and relations of parts by which the purposes of the invention are attained will appear as the specification proceeds.

The drawing accompanying and forming part of the specification illustrates certain practical embodiments of the invention. Structure however, may be modified and changed as regards the present disclosure, all within the true intent and broad scope of the invention as hereinafter defined and claimed.

Fig. l is a side elevation of one of the sockets, illustrating the first step in the engagement of a lamp or tube in the socket, the lamp or tube being indicated by a broken circle and the pin terminals indicated in cross section.

Figs. 2 and 3, are broken side views illustrating successive steps in the entry and engagement of the pin terminals in the socket.

Fig. 4 is a broken cross-sectional view as on substantially the plane of line 4-4 of Fig. 3, showing how solid portions of the socket base overlie the terminals of the tube to prevent accidental or unintentional separation of the tube from thesocket.

Figs. 5 and 6 are views similar to Figs. 2 and 3, illustrating a modified form of the invention.

Fig. 7 is a broken side elevation of another modification.

Fig. 1 illustrates one of the two companion sockets ordinarily employed for holding a fluorescent lamp and comprising generally a socket base I, having a wide entrance groove 8, in the front edge of the same for entry of the terminal pins of the lamp and carrying opposed contact springs 9, ill, for holding engagement with the pins The contact springs are shown as having base portions ll, l2, secured at l3, I4, and carrying wiring terminals l5, It.

At their free ends, the yielding contacts have open pin engaging hooks l1. s

In the first illustrated form of the invention, the contacts are mounted with the open pin receiving hooks faced inwardly toward each other, but at opposite sides of an intermediate insulating partition l8, interposed in the pin guiding groove or channel 8.

Also, in this first form of the invention, the hooked ends of the spring contacts are formed with outwardly flaring or divergent cam extensions IQ, for wedging engagement by the pin ter minals.

The interlocking connection of the pins with the sockets is accomplished in all forms of the invention shown by constructing the entrance channel 8, with substantially straight and parallel opposite side walls 20, spaced apart a distance 2|, which is less than the outside spacing of the pins but wide enough to admit both pins in slightly inclined relation and by providing more widely spaced seats 22, at the inner ends of the guide edges, 'to freely receive both pins and to provide the outwardly projecting shoulders 23, which will stand in front of the pins when the latter are fully engaged with both contact springs as illustrated in Figs. 3, 4 and 6.

Fig. 1 shows how with the construction described, the tube must be entered with the terminal pins 24, 25, in an inclined relation, one slightly in advance of the other. The leading pin, by wedging engagement between the inclined cam extension IQ, of one contact and the opposed inclined shoulder 26, on the intermediate partition, forces open the first contact and, as the position is reached like that shown in Fig. 2, drops down back of the shoulder 23, into the outwardly enlarged seat 22, and into full engagement in the open hook of the first contact. Then with rotary movement of the tube as represented by the arrow in Fig. 2, about the engaged pin 24, as a center, the second pin 25, will pass by the fixed inner shoulder 21, of the partition and in back of the outer shoulder 23, where it will occupy a free position in the seat 22, as in Figs. 4 and 5, fully engaged in the hook of the second contact spring. In this final position, both pins will be in back of fixed stop shoulders 23, which will prevent removal of the pins by a direct outward pull on the tube. However, by a partial rotary movement, the reverse of that indicated in Fig. 2, one pin will be freed from its position back of the locking shoulder and then the second pin can be easily withdrawn by a movement, the reverse of that indicated in Fig 1.

In the rotary movements described and illustrated generally in Fig. 2, one enlarged seat 22, the lower one in this view, may serve as a fixed bearingnotatably supporting one terminal pin 24, and the wall of the other seat, the one at the top in this view, in the releasing movement, may serve in the nature of an inclined wedge abutment to force the upper pin 25, downward and free of engagement back of the holding shoulder 23.

The generally circular enlargements or seats 22, at the inner ends of the pin guides 20, thus may have at different times, the double functions of pivotal bearings for the pins and inclines for wedging the pins inwardly, clear of the holding shoulders.

The structure of Figs. and 6, so far as the interlocking features are concerned, is similar in structure and operation, but the contact springs instead of being yieldable outwardly, are yieldable inwardly or toward each other and have outwardly faced open hooks 28, with inwardly inclined, convergent wedge extensions 29. In such case, the edges 20, of the entrance channel provide guides and supports enabling the first pin 24, to wedge the first contact inward into engagement with the hook of the first contact back of the first holding shoulder 22. Then the tube 30, can be easily rotated about the thus established pivot center to carry the second pin 25, over the incline I9, of the second contact into fully engaged relation in the hook of the second contact, back of the second holding shoulder 22.

Each of the constructions shown has special advantages. In the second form, with the contacts engaging inside the terminal pins, a somewhat greater leverage for turning the tube into and out of engagement with the contact springs is provided and hence if desired, the contact springs can be made somewhat heavier and stifier. In both constructions, the springs have a normal spacing such that they will automatically grip the pins. In the first construction, the springs close inwardly on the pins and hence are positioned with a normal spacing of the hooks less than the overall spacing of the pins. In the second form, where the springs enter between the pins, they are tensioned outwardly andare positioned with the hooks normally spaced 9. distance slightly greater than the inside spacing of the terminal pins.

The construction in both cases is simple, sturdy and can be produced quite inexpensively.

To properly locate the inwardly tensioined springs and to prevent them from coming inwardly too far, stops such as indicated at 3|, may be provided on the intermediate partition, opposed to the inner faces of the springs.

To avoid any possibility of the lamp pins getting caught in back of the contact springs, in the form of the invention illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6, the intermediate partition may be extended in the form of a guard substantially as indicated at 32.

The form of the invention illustrated inFig. '7 is a modification of that shown in Fig. 1, in which the intermediate partition is narrowed down at 33, at points opposite the inwardly faced hooks of the springs to permit free entrance and removal of the pins. With this construction, the first pin can be freely entered into engagement with one hook and then the lamp rocked about that hook as a center to force the other pin into seated engagement in the second spring hook. In the fully engaged relation, the pins will stand back of the shoulders 23, on the base and the lamp thus be locked in position in the base. To release the lamp, it is only necessary to rock it one way or the other, to free one of the pins, after -which the other pin will'simply drop out of engagement with the other hook.

What is claimed is:

1. A supporting socket for lamps and tubes having spaced terminal pins and comprising a socket base having an entrance groove through one edge for the pins and wide enough to admit both pins in a slightly inclined relation with one pin slightly in advance of the other and said entrance groove being of slightly less width than the overall distance between the outer boundaries of the pins to thereby restrict entry of both pins to said inclined relation with one slightly in advance of the other, said entrance groove being defined by oppositely disposed substantially parallel side walls of insulating material spaced a distance apart of only slightly less than the overall spacing of the pins and oppositely'disposed more widely spaced pin receiving seats at the inner ends of said side walls and connected with the ends of said side walls by abrupt outwardly extending shoulders forming'abutments to prevent simultaneous withdrawal of the pins when entered behind the same and contacts at the back of said shoulders engageable by the terminal pins when the latter have been slid along the substantially parallel entrance groove defining side walls in the inclined relation into final position behind the pin confining shoulders at the inner ends of said side walls, said contacts having open sided pin receiving hooks disposed immediately in back of said abrupt outwardly extending shoulders where said shoulders will hold said pins against direct withdrawal from said open hooks and inclined cam extensions at the outer ends of said hooks projecting forwardly beyond said abrupt shoulders in position when engaged by the terminal pins to serve as cams to force back the contacts, so that said pins can then enter said more widely spaced pin receiving seats in back of said abrupt outwardly extending shoulders and an insulating partition between said contacts projecting forwardly between said substantially parallel side walls of the entrance groove.

2. A supporting socket for lamps and tubes having spaced terminal pins and comprising a. socket base having an entrance groove through one edge for the pins and wide enough to admit both pins in a slightly inclined relation with one pin slightly in advance of the other and said entrance groove being of slightly less width than the overall distance between the outer'boundai ies of the pins to thereby restrict entry of both pins to saidinclined relation with one slightly in advance of the other, said entrance groove being defined by oppositely disposed substantially parallel side walls of insulating material spaced 8. distance apart of only slightly less than the overall spacing of the pins and oppositely disposed more widely spaced pin receiving seats at the inner ends of said side walls and connected with the ends of said side walls by abrupt outwardly extending shoulders forming abutments to prevent simultaneous withdrawal of the pins when entered behind the same and spring contacts at the back of said shoulders engageable by the terminal pins when the latter have been slid but tensioned inwardly toward each other with said hooks spaced a distance less than the outside spacing of the terminal pins.

3. A supporting socket for lamps and tubes having spaced terminal pins and comprising a socket base having an entrance groove through one edge for the pins and wide enough to admit both pins in a slightly inclined relation, with one pin slightly in advance of the other and said entrance groove being of slightly less width than the overall distance between the outer boundaries of the pins to thereby restrict entry of both pins to said inclined relation with one slightly in advance of the other, said entrance groove being defined by oppositely disposed substantially parallel side walls of insulating material spaced a distance apart of only slightly less than the overall spacing of the pins and oppositely disposed more widely spaced pin receiving seats at the inner ends of said side walls and connected with the ends of said side walls by abrupt outwardly extending shoulders forming abutments to prevent simultaneous withdrawal of the pins when entered behind the same and spring contacts at the back of said shoulders engageable by the terminal pins when the latter have been slid along the substantially parallel entrance groove defining side walls in the inclined relation into final position behind the pin confining shoulders at the inner ends of said side walls, said contacts having single open sided pin receiving hooks disposed in back of said outwardly extending shoulders and inclined cam extensions at the outer ends of said hooks, said contacts being tensioned outwardly away from each other but yleldable inwardly toward each other and said hooks being faced outwardly away from each other. said inclined extensions being inwardly inclined on convergent lines and said contacts standing normally with said hooks spaced apart a greater distance than the inside spacing of said terminal pins.

4. A supporting socket for lamps and tubes having spaced terminal pins and comprising a socket base having an entrance groove through one edge for the pins and wide enough to admit both pins in a slightly inclined relation with one pin slightly in advance of the other and said entrance groove being of slightly less width than the overall distance between the outer boundaries of the pins to thereby restrict entry of both pins to said inclined relation with one slightly in advance of the other, said entrance groove being defined by oppositely disposed substantially parallel side walls of insulating material spaced 8. distance apart of only slightly less than the overall spacing of the pins and oppositely disposed more widely spaced pin receiving seats at the inner ends of said sidewalls and connected with the ends of said side walls by abrupt outwardly extending shoulders forming abutments to prevent simultaneous withdrawal of the pins when entered behind the same and spring contacts at the back of said shoulders engageable by the terminal pins when the latter have been slid along the substantially parallel entrance groove defining side walls in the inclined relation into final position behind the pin confining shoulders at the inner ends of said side walls, said contacts having single open sided pin receiving hooks disposed in back of said outwardly extending shoulders and inclined cam extensions at the outer ends of said hooks, said spring contacts being tensioned inwardly toward each other and disposed with said open hooks faced toward each other and spaced normally a distance less than the outside spacing of the pins, and an inclined sided partition in said entrance groove between said contacts and having portions opposite said more widely spaced pin receiving seats and in back of said abrupt shoulders and opposite the pin receiving hooks of said contacts and spaced 8, distance away from said hooks greater than the diameter of said terminal pins.

NATHAN CHIRELSTEIN. 

